Mumbai’s I-League matches may be shifted to Pune

With the Cooperage football ground all set to get the synthetic turf, there is a possibility that the three city-based teams in the I-League will play their initial matches either at Pune or Kolhapur.
The installation of the turf is most likely to begin next month after the rains subside, said Deepak Khanolkar, representative of Greenfields Sports Turf Systems, responsible for laying the turf. “Once the work begins it will take around 100-120 days to finish,” he added.

That means if the work starts in October, it won’t be completed before February next year. The I-League, meanwhile, is scheduled to start mid-November with three teams from Mumbai — Air India, Mumbai FC and the newly-promoted ONGC.

When quizzed about the alternate venue to host their matches , Western India Football Association (WIFA) assistant secretary Wali Mohammad remained non-committal.

“Kolhapur and Pune are two options, but we will see how things can be worked out. We are in constant touch with the All India Football Federation over this matter. We will ensure that while Cooperage gets the turf, our city teams don’t suffer,” Mohammad said.

Sources in the WIFA also said they are considering getting in touch with the Cricket Club of India and conduct the matches at the Brabourne Stadium.

“We have to find out how much rent we would have to pay to conduct the matches there. We have to keep in mind that conducting matches of all three teams at a venue far away from Mumbai will not be easy logistically. So, if the rent is affordable for Brabourne, then that is an option,” said the source.

All these decisions, including the final date to begin the installation of the turf, are expected to be taken in an executive committee meeting that will be held according to the availability of WIFA and AIFF president Praful Patel. The meeting was originally scheduled for September 19, but it is believed to be postponed because of non-availability of Patel, who is also civil aviation minister in Indian cabinet.

The turf, which costs approximately Rs 4 crore, is being installed at the Cooperage as a part of FIFA’s ‘Win in India with India’ programme that has allotted 10 artificial turfs for the development of the game.